Drain device for sensitized plates



Feb. 23, 1932. H E KENDIG DRAIN DEVICE FOR SENSITIZED PLATES Filed Jan. 19, '1929 MIN) //VVE/VTO/? M MJV WW I a I A TOFIYEV Patented Feb. 23, 1932 PATENT OFFICE HARVEY EVERT KENDIG, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA DRAIN DEVICE FOR SENSITIZED PLATES Application filed January 19, 1929.

In the sensitizing of plates (usually if not always glass) for use in the making of photographs according to what is known as the wet process the said plates are placed in a solution of silver nitrate after which they are removed and allowed to drain.

Heretofore such plates have been supported in a more or less upright position with their lower ends resting upon an absorbent body of material such as blotting papers, usually a number of thicknesses thereof, the plates being allowed to remain in such position until the excess of silver nitrate solution has drained from the front faces thereof, the 1'; said solution being removed from the rear faces of the plates by wiping and cleaning the same by the use of blotting paper, cotton,

rags, etc. I

The chemical silver nitrate is quite expen- ZJJ sive and it is desirable to save that which is removed from the plates, and the practice heretofore has been to preserve the blotting paper, rags or the like by which the silver nitrate has been absorbed and to extract the chemical therefrom; but the difficulty has been that such blotters, rags and the like hecome lost, disintegrate and for one reason or another the greater portion of the nitrate is lost, which constitutes a more or less heavy lid burden upon those engaged in the photographic art.

The general object of the invention is to provide a device by the use of which the silver nitrate which is or may be removed from a plate may be collected in a suitable receptacle and conveyed therefrom to a container and thereafter re-used if desired.

It also is an object of the invention to provide a device having means whereby the plates may be supported in a more or less upright position in such relation to a receptacle as to permit the excess of nitrate to drain from the front face of the said plate into the said receptacle, the nitrate upon the rear face of the said plate being removed therefrom by a suitable device and allowed to fall into the said receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby plates of different i heights and of different widths may be read- Serial No. 333,569,

ily supported and sustained in proper relation to a receptacle into which the nitrate may descend from the said plates.

To these and other ends the invention comprehends the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described in detail and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and its many practical advantages fully appreciated reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated one form of mechanical device embodying the said invention. It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction of the said device without departing from the invention as the same is defined in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a device which may be employed in removing the silver nitrate or other like substances from the rear side or surface of the plates;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical longitudinal sec tional elevation of the device shown in Fig.

1; and

Fig. 4 is a central transverse section of the said device.

Before proceeding with a description in detail of the device embodying my invention I desire to point out that although I have referred to the chemical silver nitrate it is to be understood that my invention is not limited in its use to the handling of plates which have been subjected to the action of a solution of silver nitrate but mav be used for the handling of plates which have been subjected to the action of any other chemical in liquid form.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a box 1 of rectangular form the upper end of which is open, as shown. The said box may be supported upon any suitable support such as a bench or the like, a portion of which is indicated at 2. A trough 3 is located within the box 1. the said trough being of angular shape in cross section, as

shown in the drawings. The front edge of the trough is provided with a forwardly ex tending flange 4 which extends over the top edge of the front wall of the box 1 so as to prevent the chemical which may be removed from the plates from coming in contact with the said box. The box 1 consists of wood and preferably should be painted or covered inside and outside with a coating or covering of a substance resistant to the action of silver nitrate and water or other chemical and water. The upper edges of the other sideand ends of the trough may be provided with laterally extending flanges to overlie the adjoining edges of the box if desired, but in practice I have found that it is necessary only that the front edge of the box be protected, as is indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings; The trough must consist of material which is not affected by the chemical whichzmay come into contact therewith. The said trough may consistof a nitro-cellulose compound freed from substances which might combine with and contaminate the reclaimed silver nitrate solution, a phenolic condensation product, rubber and its combinations, or any other-suitable material which is not acted upon by the -ch'einical, whatever itmay be, which may drain thereinto.

"The box 1 is provided at intervals lengthwise thereof with triangular blocks and 6 "arranged in couples as shown. The inner ends of the blocks of each couple overlap each other, as indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and the upperedges of'the blocks of each couple are 'arranged'in angular relation to each other, the angle thereo'f -corre spending with the angleof the opposite sides of =t he'trough to each other. That relationship is clearly shown in Fig. 4: of the drawings from which it is clear that the trough is supported upon the upper edges of 'the blocks 5 and '6. Instead of supporting the trough upon the said blocks 5 and 6 it may be supported by the bottom edges of the ends 7 thereof resting upon the bottom of the box, the blocks 5 and 6 in that case being omitted.

The trough 3 is provided with crosswise extending bars '8 the "material of which may and "usually would-be the same as-that of the trough although that is not necessary provided the material of the said cross-bar is such "that it will not be afiect'ed or acted upon by the chemical which may contact therewith. "These cross-bars are provided with notches which are shown at'lO, in which notc'hes the lower ends of the plates, indicated at 11 by dash and dot lines, are located. These notches provide shoulders against which the ends of the plates may contact, and the presence of said shoulders prevents the accidental sliding outward movement of the lower ends of the plates. The upper ends of the platesrest against a suitable support which may be embodied in the form as illustrated. The support as shown in the drawings comprises a frame which includes upright side bars 1:2 the lower ends of which are connected to the rear side of the box 1 while the upper ends thereof are connected to each other by means of a cross-bar 13. .An intermediate upright or vertical bar 14 isprovided, the said bar being located midway between the upright bars .12. V The lower end of the intermediate bar is connected to the rear side of the-box 1 and at its upper end to the cross-bar l3.

Diagonally arranged bars 15 and 16 are provided the lower ends of which are connected to the opposite edges of the bar 14 a short distance above the upper edge of the rear side off the box 1 while the upper'ends thereof are connected to the top bar 13 near its opposite ends. In addition to their function of aiding in 'the'support of the upper ends of plates which may rest upon the cross-bars the bars 15 and '16 in co-operationwith the bar 14 constitute braces "for strengthening and rendering more secure and rigid the frame structure as whole which .is supported upon the rear side of the box 1. For the purpose of further strengthening and rendering more secure and rigid the structurel-have provided two short 'stripsorbars 17 and 18 which are located upon the opposite sides of the lower end portion of the bar'1-4 below the lower ends of the diagonal 1y arranged bars 15 and 16. The upper ends of the short bars 17 and 18 contact with "and overlie the lower end portions of the diagonal bars 15 and 16.. The lower ends of the short bars 17 and 18 are secured to the box 1. The bars 1'2, 1 1, '15 and .lfipreferably consist of'wood and in order to protect "the same from the chemical up'on th'e plates which are'indi catedat 11'Lthesaid bars are provided with grooves 20 within which are located narrow elongated strips '21 which consist of material which would not be affected or acted uponlay any chemical which would be deposited thereon from a plate which might be supported thereagainst. The said strips :21 usually consist of the same material as that of which'thetrough 3 and bars 8 are made but of course the said strips may consist of any other material capable of re sisting "the chemical action of any chenncal which might be deposited thereon from any plate which may be supported against the same. The bars 12, 1'8, 1 1, 15 and 16 may be painted orcovered with a coating of substance which is resistant to the silver nitrate or other chemical which may be handled; and if so covered the strips 21 referred to may be omitted and the upper edges of the plates allowed to contact with the bars 12, 14, 15 and 16. 7

Likewise the trough 3 and the crossbars 8 thereof may consist of material which is not resistant 'to the chemical silver nitrate,

or other chemical which may come in contact therewith provided they are covered with a coating of material'which is resistant to such chemical; but preferably these parts should consist of material which is resistant to the said chemical as hereinbefore has been described.

It will be noted that the bars 15 and 16 and the strips 21 thereon diverge upwardly from the bar 14 and the strip 21 mounted thereon. It also will be noted that the strip 21 mounted upon the bar 14: extends to a point a considerable distance below the lower ends of the strips 21 upon the bars 15 and 16. By thus locating the strips 21 with respect to each other it will be seen that I have arranged the said strips for support ing the upper ends of plates of varying widths and heights. It may be that a relatively narrow and short plate when supported upon one or more of the bars 8 would contact only with the lower end portion of the middle strip 21, but as the plates increase in width and height it will be noted that the upper ends thereof contact with all three of the strips 21 and that as the plates widen and increase in height the support for the upper ends thereof increases in width. After the plates have been subjected to the action of a chemical such as silver nitrate in liquid form they are placed upon the device with their lower ends resting in the notches 10 in the upper edges of the cross-bars 8 and with their upper ends resting against and su ported by the strips 21. While in such position the excess of chemical drains from the face of the plate which faces toward the rear of the device into the trough 3 while by means of a wiping device 25 the said chemical is removed from the rear face of the plate, such face being that which faces toward the front of the device as illustrated. The chemical which drains from one of the faces of the plates and that which is removed or which may drain from the other faces of said plates descends or falls into the trough 3 and flows therefrom through a short pipe 26 mounted in an opening provided in one end of the trough 3. Prefer ably the trough should be inclined toward the end upon which the pipe 26 is mounted so as to facilitate the flow of the silver nitrate or other chemical solution to the said p pe. A flexible pipe extension 27 is connected at one end to the outer end of said pipe and its opposite end projects into a bottle 28 or other container into which the chemical. discharged from the said trough. The pipe 26 and the flexible pipe extension 27 must be chemically resistant to the solution of silver nitrate or other chemical being handled.

It will be noted that the sides of the trough meet at an angle so that the chemical. which is in liquid form, gathers in the angle between the sides at the bottom of the trough,

its outflow being thereby facilitated. From time to time if desired water may be poured into the trough to wash therefrom the chemical such as silver nitrate.

The chemical; for example, silver nitrate, collected in the bottle 28 may be strained or filtered and thereafter again used as an agent for sensitizing photographic plates, for intensifying or for any purpose in photography for which silver nitrate in solution is desirable.

The wiper 25 previously referred to consists of a body portion of material resistant to silver nitrate and other chemical substances which may be reclaimed within one edge of which a flexible wiping element is provided which may consist of rubber or other material chemically resistant to silver nitrate or other chemical which may be handled. Wiping devices of the character illustrated are well known and in general use for similar purposes.

It will be seen that by my invention I have provided a device simple in character but very efficient for the purpose for which it is intended; namely, collecting and saving of a liquid chemical; for example, silver nitrate, which may drain or otherwise be removed from the surfaces of sensitized plates, usually glass, which may be used in the photographic or other art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a trough having bars extending transversely of the open top thereof, means for supporting said trough, and means out side of said trough co-operating with said bars to support a plate in an upright position, the lower end of said plate being sup ported upon the said bars over the said trough.

2. A device of the character described comprising a trough the opposite sides of which are plane and meet each other to form an angle, an open topped box w'thin which the said trough is located, and means for supporting a plate in an upright position with its lower end located over the said trough.

, 3. A device of the character described comprising a trough consisting of material resistant to chemical substances, the opposite sides of said trough being arranged in angular relation to each other and the said trough being provided with a port through one end adjacent the bottom of the said trough; means for supporting the said trough, cross-bars supported in spaced relation to each other upon the upper edge portions of the opposite sides of the said trough, upright bars mounted upon the rear side of the S111 port for the said trough, the said bars being provided with strips of material of a substance resistant to chemical action, the said cross-bars and the strips upon the said upnight bars co-operating to support a plate 'in upright position. 7

4. A device of the character descrihednomm prising an open topped box having transconsisting of material which is not affected by chemical substances which may come into contact therewith, the said trough being located in the angles formed by the blocks in the said box and being supported by the said blocks, cross-bars supported upon the upper edge portions of the said trough, and upright supporting means mounted upon thesaid box and co-operating with the said cross-bars to support plates in upright positions. .20

prising a trough having cross-bars supported upon the upper edge portions otthe'opposite sides thereof, the said trough andcrossbars consisting or" material which will'not be affected by silver nitrate should the latter come into contact therewith, a support for the said trough, upright bars mounted upon said support, the said bars having strips :oi material mounted thereon and projecting from the front sidesathereo-f consisting'of material which will not be acted upon by silver nitrate should the latter come into contact therewith, the said bars andthe said strips being adapted to support plates in upright position.

6. Adevice of thecharacter-described cornprising an open topped box having blocks mounted therein and extending transversely thereof, the upper edges of the said blocks 0 being inclined inwardly and downwardly, a

trough located within the said box and supported upon the upper edges of the said blocks, said trough being provided with a port in one end thereof and also being profi ivided with cross-bars supported upon the upper edge portions of the opposite sides thereof, the said trough and cross-bars consisting of a material capable of resisting the chemical action of silver nitrate,-a vertically extending bar mounted upon the said rectangular box, and bars connected at thelr lower ends to the opposite edges of the said vertical bar at points located a distance-above the upper edge of the rear side of the said $5 1302:, the said last mentioned bars extending vupwardly and in divergent relation with respect to the first named bar and each of the said bars being provided with a narrow-strip mounted in va groove provided therein, each *6) or" the said strips proj c g beyond h tace of the side of the bar in which it is located, the cross-bars mounted upon the said trough and the said vertical bar and bars ex tending divergently upwardly from the said vertical bar co-operating to support plates 5. Adevice of the character described com with thelower ends "thereof located-over the said troughJ V I I 7 A device of the character described comprising an open topped box,- a trough consistingof a phenolic condensation product,

right position, with the lower end of said plate located over the said trough.

8. In combination, a trough comprising material resistant to silver nitrate in solution, bars mounted upon said trough and extending crosswise thereof, and means for supporting a plate in upright position with its lower-end resting upon said bars whereby liquid substance which may drain from either or both faces of "the said plate will descend into the saic trough, said means tapering from its upper toward its lower end.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 have hereunto signed my name this L'Zthda of January, A. 1)., 1929. HABV Y EVE-RT KENDIG. V 

